End of December 2012, only days before christmas and while I’m finished the design at his »T12.2 Evo«, Marcello from Free Spirits send me a mail. He needed in more than a bit of a hurry a design idea for his project-bike he was building for the »27th Bikerfest in Lignano Sabbiadoro«. The Lignano Bikerfest ist the oldest and one of the famoust Motorcycle-Event in Italy. 2013 it will take place on 9. – 12. May. But the bike should be presented at the Motor Bike Expo in Verona. Starting on 18. January – just three weeks ahaid. So time was running warp-speed.

The only input I had, where the style & colors of the ads and the logo of the 27th Bikerfest they use to promote their 2013 event online. I choosed to design the »America« as a real »Theme-Bike« for the 27th Bikerfest. »Theme-Bikes« means: To transport the colors and graphic elements of the event – but as an independent interpretation like the Free Spirits technical improvements it stands for.

The most important fact to me (and of course Marcello): No matter the colors are – a rider should look »cool« on the bike, not »sissy«. The »America« should look like a real »Surfers-Bike« you would love to ride in Hawaii or California to the beach with your board under your arm.

After I »cleaned« the two photos, top and side view, I got by mail direct out of the Free Spirits garage work (not really the basic photos I like to start my work with) the first question was: Which main color should the bike have?

I choosed not the »brown« but rather the »turquoise-blue«. The blue is all about surfing: You ride your board in blue water and under a blue sky. Too, the contrast with the orange and light yellow-brown colors will be like a feeling of sunrise.

I worked with the »flames« of the 27th Bikerfest but illustrated for the top/tank a »Maori-Element«. It’s typical for surfing and in his form and expression very masculine. (Ones more: No »Sissy-Rider« allowed.)

In the »Low-Line« (front fender, spoiler and sidepanel) I worked with »waves« in contrast to the »flames« above: You surf through the ocean on waves. (See on the spoiler below the small brown outline? It’s not a wave, it’s a sharks dorsal fin. A bit of designers humor.)

On the headlight I positioned the 27th Bikerfest »Theme-Bike« signature and on the back fender the »italian tricolour« plus a typo with my signature. The free spirits logo found his place on the sideboards (the top view if them I constructed in Illustrator, cause I only had the view from the side).

Two days and nights later, my design was finished in his digital look. Now it was the job of »Hups« from American-Bikes to realize it. Together with the two pictures I send him also vectorized datas of the »Maori« tank graphic, the basic flames and the typo I had used.

Santa Clause was sliding down the chimneys when »Hups« started his work.

Gallery – Working the design

Gallery – Themebike »27th Bikerfest«

Gallery – The Team

::: A short word about »Virtual Tuning«

»Virtual tuning« is the visual step between your idea and the realisation by an airbrusher or wrapper (stickers). When your idea is more than a racing-stripe running over the tank, you should thinking about this intermediate step. »Virtual tuning «allows you to »catch & view« your idea in advance and to get a good look on the result before it comes to realization on the vehicle. Whether your a company, a racing team or a private person – when you are thinking about to modify your vehicle also in the design of the bodyart, for advertising or just your own presentation in front of the public: With »Virtual Tuning« you can always be sure to find the vehicle on the tarmac what you really want to see there.

Costs: An individual, fully elaborated wrapping design (stickers / racing – all views), is about 1.200 to 2.000 euros. Between 16 and 36 hours of work. If you are not discouraged by this price statement: feel free to contact me.